of columbus



Jan. '27, 1931. A. J. FRAME GAS PILOT FOR OIL BURNING APPARATUS Filed sept. 25. 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet l Jan. 27, 1931. A. .1. FRAME 1,789,973

GAS PILOT FOR OIL BURNING APFARATS Filed Sept. 25, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Jan. 27, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE AUGUSTUS J'. FRAME, OF COLUMBUS, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO FRANKLIN OIL HEATING, INC., OF COLUMBUS, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO GAS EILOT FOR OIL-BURNING APPARATUS Application filed September 23, 1929. Serial No. 394,460.

This invention relates to gas pilots for oil burning apparatus.

Hitherto in the use of a gas pilot the pilot formed an ordinary jet of burning gas and particularly when used in a vaporizing type of burner generating oil gas from a supply maintained in the mixing chamber or bowl such pilot has been subjected to the effect of air delivered at some velocity into the bowl with a tendency to blow out the pilot light.

Such a pilot also causes the formation of carbon 'on the pilot and on the surface of the bowl upon which the flame impinges.

My present invention has for an object to provide apilot light having a duct or passage through it,y so constructed as to direct the flame of the pilot upon the bottom ofthe bowl in conjunction with means to shield the pilot light from the effect of lthe air delivered for admixture with the oil gas.

Another object consists in the provision of means to supply a mixture'of'gas and air to the pilot light.

Still another object consists in the location of the air and gas supply means for the pilot within a casing which communicates with the bowl so that if gas escapes from this means it will be drawn by the draft of the furnace or heater up through the chimney.

Another object consists in the provision of a gas pilot for oil burners comprising a tip of lava, porcelain or other refractory material which is relatively of low heat conductivity and which is not susceptible to deteii'oration from the heat and which is not so susceptible to formation of carbon and which when heated contributes to the more eicient combustion of the mixture supplied to the pilot.

Other objects reside in the details of ccnstruction and the combinations ofthe various elements as will more fully appear from the following specification and the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1'is a plan view of burner apparatus utilizing my invention;

Fig. 2 is a vertical section along the line 2 2 of Fig. 1 drawn to an enlarged scale;

Fig. 3 is a vertical section along the line 3-3 of Fig. 1, also drawn to an enlarged scale;

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the burner tip;

Fig. 5 is an end elevation of the same;

Fig. 6 is a plan view of the same;

' Fig. 7 is a horizontal section of the same along the line 7 7 of Fig. 4.

Like numerals refer to like elements throughout the drawings, in which 10 indicates generally a mixing bowl or chamber having a central tubular portion 10-a projecting upwardly.

Surrounding and spaced from the bowl 10 is a casing 11 forming with the bowl an air chamber with which communicates the bore of the tubular portion 10-a. The main air duct 12 leads to this air chamber through the casing 11 and at its other end is in communication with a fan or other source of air supply. An oil supply pipe 14 leads to the interior of the bowl 10 and an auxiliary air duct 15 is in communication therewith in order to supply a certain amount of air to the oil delivered into the bowl 10 during operation of the burner.

Also located in the casing is a gas supply pipe 16 communicating with any suitable source of illuminating gas, natural gas or the like. as, for example, the pipe 17, a T 18 serving to connect the pipes 16 and 17 with suit-` able threaded couplings 19 and 20, for example. In the T is provided a valve seat 20-a see Fig. 2) with which coacts the valve 21 forming a part of the threaded valve stem 22 having the angularly bent handle 22*a projecting through a suitable stuiiing box 24 from one branch of the T 18. It will be'obvious that the stem 22 may be adjusted to regulate the amount of gas flowing through the gas pipe 16 and for convenience in making this adjustment I provide a hinged door 12-a in the duct 12. Leading into the passage in the T 18 outwardly ofthe valve seat 2(7*a is a plurality of inclined open-` ings 20-b aiording communication between the interior of the air duct 12 and the interior of the gas pipe 16, thus permitting a desired amount of air to flow into the gas pipe 16 and admix with the gas which is flowing therethrough. The pipe 16 terminates in the 100 elbow 26 which is threaded into an aperture in the bottom of the bowl 10, such aperture being indicated by numeral l0-0. Threaded into the upper end of this aperture and projecting upwardly into the interior of the bowl 10 is the nipple 27 having the smooth upper portion 27-a of reduced diameter. A duct 27-6 extends through the nipple 27 and affords a passage for the gas for the pilot. Detachably mounted upon the reduced portion 27-a is a block or tip 30 preferably formed of lava or other refractory.v This tip is provided with the chamber 30-a therein to which leads the duct 27-a. Leading downwardly and outwardly from the chamber 30-a is the duct 30-6 which terminates the desired distance above the bottom of the bowl 10.

The tip 30 is provided with slots or recesses 30-0 in its side walls and a metal shield 33 is provided, the same being formed to fit over the top and outer side of the end-piece 30, the latter being chamferedl at the juncture of its side walls and end wall. The metal shield 33 is similarly formed to cover these chamfered portions as illustrated in Figs. 3-7, for example. Tabs or wings 33-a project from the shield and fit in the slots 30-0 to lock the shield against vertical movement relative to the end-piece 30. Similarly tabs 33-6 project downwardly from the top of the shield 33 to grip the upper portion of the end-piece 30. The lower end 33-0 of the shield is extended downwardly to a point adjacent the bottom of the bowl 10 and beneath the end-piece 3() as illustrated in Fig. 3.

ln the form of oil burning apparatus illustrated a. central air distributor 37 is seated in the upper end of the tubular portion 10-a being provided with a primary air distribut- .ing head 37-a, a portion of which is illustrated in Fig. 3. This distributor head is provided with apertures 37-6 to direct primary air into the bowl 10 for admixture with the oil vapor generated therein.

ln the operation of the apparatus illustrated, upon starting of the burning appara- 'tus oil is permitted to flow into the bowl 10 and rise to the level for which it is regulated. The mixture of air and gas is constantly flowing through the pipe 1G and having been properly regulated and ignited the combustion of this mixture will form a blue, intensely hot flame (particularly when the airfan is delivering air through duct 12) which is directed downwardly upon the bottom of the bowl 10 through the duct 30-6. When the oil is flowed into the bowl this intense blue flame will almost instantaneously ignite it, even though it be of relatively low gravity. The arrangement of the gas duct in the endpiece 30 and the shield 33 shield the gas pilot from the air blown into the bowl 10 through the air distributing member 37 and thus prevent its being extinguished or deflected away from the oil.

Inthe type of burner illustrated, when the desired temperature of the room or house being heated has been reached the oil supply is shut off but the burner is continued in operation until the oil remaining in the bowl l0 has been consumed. This final consumption of the oil has a. tendency to form some carbon which in conventional types of gas pilot might deposit upon the pilot and restrict the flow of the burning gas therefrom. Also the yellow flame gas pilot hitherto used, due to the imperfect combustion of the gas therefrom, tends to form carbon which deposits upon the pilot to ultimately interfere with its proper operation. Again, carbon may form beneath the pilot upon the bottom of the bowl l0 either from combustion of the oil in the bowl or due to shielding of the pilot flame. With the type of pilot illustrated and described, the intensely hot, blue flame issuing therefrom prevents the formation of carbon upon the pilot in the vicinity of the jet and also maintains the underlying surface of the bowl in clean condition, free from carbon, and the metal subjected to the action of the pilot during inoperation of the burner is main.- tained at a temperature considerably above normal and this has the effect of vaporizing the oil first introduced into the bowl upon starting of the burner, all of this action assisting the quick start of the burner by the ready ignition of the gas thus generated from the inflowing oil.

The refractory tip 30 I have discovered is especially adaptedfor this use, as being of a refractory material such as lava or other Inaterial of low heat conductivity which is relatively reluctant to dissipate its heat content, l have discovered it is not susceptible to formation of carbon in the gas ducts or on the exterior.

It will be apparent that my invention is susceptible of modification and departure from the form illustrated and described and I do not wish to be restricted to such form but refer to the claims as defining the scope of my invention when properly interpreted in respect to the prior art.

lhat l claim is:

l. A pilot light for oil burners comprising a tip of refractory material having a duct therethrough for the passage of gas and a metal shield mounted upon said refractory tip, said duct in said tip being downwardly directed, and said shield being extended to project downward beyond the lower end of said duct.

2. Tn combination an oil receiving member, a pilot means associated therewith comprising a refractory member located above the bottom of said oil receiving member and having a duct therethrough for the passage of gas, said duct being directed downwardly toward the bottom of said oil receiving member, and a metal shield mounted upon said refractory member, said shield being extended downwardly from said refractory member to a point adjacent the bottom of said oil receiving member.

3. In combination an oil receiving member, a nipple threaded into a wall of said member, a refractory tip mounted upon said nipple and provided with a gas duct directed toward the Wall of said member, and a metal shield mounted upon said tip and having a portion extending therefrom to a point adjacent said Wall.

4. In combination an oil receivin bowl having `a. central tubular portion pro]ecting upwardly from the bottom thereof, an air distributing member carried by said tubular portion and provided with means to direct air into the interior of said bowl, pilot means comprising an apertured pilot member located in said bowl and provided with 4a duct directed downwardly toward the bottom of said bowl, means to supply fuel to said pilot member and means shielding the lame from said pilot member from the air introduced through said distributor member.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 14th day of September, 1929. AUGUSTUS J. FRAME. 

